Fuck That! A Manifesto

Maybe this is your one and only life, and maybe you will live many lifetimes in totally different dimensions. Ultimately, it doesn’t really matter. Even if you have another hundred lifetimes to live, why not make this one absolutely incredible?

This is where we are, so let’s make it magical.

As I was walking around the city last night, feeling the Sagittarius Moon beam down upon me, I was overcome with some extremely Sagittarian thoughts. My craving for a sense of freedom and radical candor was absolute. I grabbed my phone and started dictating the following rules for life. It all felt very Of The Moment.

I present to you…

FUCK THAT! A Manifesto.

SAY “FUCK THAT” TO…

Finishing boring books.
It is never worth it. Throw them across the room! Choose to pursue pleasure, fun, and good literature.

Staying at parties full of mindless chitchat.
Go somewhere else and spend time with people who light up your soul. Or just leave, go home, and take a bath. Better to be in your own company than with people who bore, antagonise, or irritate you.

Living under the thumb of anyone who makes you feel constricted or obligated.
Get out of there! You don’t owe anybody anything. Your life is yours alone. Own it!

Staying in the job that grinds your soul down to a weary nub.
Do something, anything else. Your energy is a finite resource: don’t waste it on something that is absolutely beneath your soul’s capacity for total brilliance.

Having the same arguments, either with other people or with yourself.
Time to change the conversation, the perspective, or the company you keep.

Committing yourself to anything that doesn’t feel good.
It could be a diet, an exercise regime, a role… It doesn’t matter. You have the power to make choices that make you feel good. Have the courage to speak up when it’s no longer working. Pluck up the moxie to want more for yourself. Recognise that your life has been a series of choices… And if you make different choices, everything will change.

Waiting until the end of a TV episode or movie that isn’t fantastic.
Why bother? We are influenced by what we consume, so why fill your brain with rubbish? Go and make something instead.

Bitching to your friends without making any changes.
Sometimes we get tricked into thinking we are “doing something” when we moan, but the reality is that kvetching doesn’t count! Sure, vent when you need to, but don’t be a chronic complainer who refuses to take action. Take a deep breath and make something happen!

Feeling stuck, small and afraid.
You are not any of those things, but those thoughts start to become true when you keep repeating them over and over. Take the first step — it’s scary as fuck but nothing is more liberating. Stand tall and confront your fears. They are never as bad as you think.

Hating yourself.
You are beyond radiant, and quite frankly, it is offensive to believe anything else. Stop kidding yourself, and step forward into your power. You are luminous!

The most important thing is to make yourself feel good in every moment of every day. Everything positive follows from there: love, friendship, work, spirituality, philanthropy. People who feel good cannot help but attract awesome people and experiences. People who feel bad simply manifest more of the same. The solution is simple: focus on what you can do to make yourself feel good right now.

I love you,

Photos: Henrik Steen for Lancome, and Jessica Chastain by Ellen Von Unwerth for British GQ.